The Hermitage is the Jewel in the Crown of St. Petersburg. No visit to the city is complete without paying a visit to the museum that combined with the Winter Palace forms the world’s largest gallery. The Hermitage is the Koh-I-Noor of museums and easily ranks with the world’s premier museums such as the British Museum in London, the Prado in Madrid and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Many visitors make an annual pilgrimage to St. Petersburg just to see the art collections.
It would take a lifetime to view the whole museum just once — one would have to walk 15 miles around each of the 322 galleries which hold over three million works of art and objects of archeological interest. Queen Catherine the Great founded the Hermitage as a private collection in 1762. The construction of the Museum continued until the mid-19th century, and it represents a rich interplay of architectural styles, from Baroque to the Russian neo-classicism. Money were not a problem in trying to gather the best artworks from all over the world. With the expansion of collection, several excellent museums were built near the Winter Palace to store excess of works of art: Old Hermitage, the Small Hermitage and Hermitage Theatre. Besides a rich interior decoration, here you can see many masterpieces. They include the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael, more than 20 canvases by Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Goya and many other famous painters. The Hermitage is a Mecca for admirers of French Impressionists and post-Impressionists. The Hall of Twenty worth a visit. The Hermitage exhibits art from every continent, almost from all ages, from all over the world. During a visit to Hermitage, prepare to be dazzled upon displayed works of art and be sure to visit there.
St. Petersburg was designed by leading European architects for 200 years. Its palaces, parks and bridges is a spectacular sight. Unfortunately, St. Petersburg is under the threat of natural destruction of its cultural heritage, due to lack of funds.
Like others, you will have to stretch its neck, admiring the architectural Paradise of Saint-Petersburg.